How Our Values Shape Our Culture (and How People Experience Us)

Every church has a culture. It’s not just something you write down on a vision statement or a website — it’s what people actually experience when they walk in the door, join a small group, or step into a conversation with one of us.

Culture is how our values get lived out in real time.

At CF Paris, we talk about values like belonging, believing, and becoming. But here’s the honest question: does our lived culture reflect those values in the ways people actually experience us?

Beliefs vs. Values

It’s easy to confuse what we believe with what we value.

• Beliefs are what we confess to be true — they’re in our doctrinal statement, and rooted in Scripture.

• Values are what we demonstrate as important — they show up in our habits, in the way we talk to each other, in the way we treat guests, and in the priorities we keep.

Culture is the overflow of those values. It’s the “feel” of our church family.

An Honest Look at Culture

If someone new walked into CF Paris this week, what would they feel?

• Would they see glimpses of the love of Christ in our welcome, our words, and our worship?

• Would they experience belonging, even if only in small but powerful ways?

• Or would they notice gaps between what we say we value and how we actually live?

This is where honesty matters. Culture doesn’t change just because we say we want it to. It changes when our values are consistently lived out in behaviors that people can feel and experience.

Living Out Our Values

So here’s the challenge for us as a church:

• If we say we value hospitality, are we truly opening our lives and our tables to others?

• If we say we value discipleship, are we building rhythms that help each other follow Jesus more deeply?

• If we say we value generosity, are we modeling it in the way we give and celebrate?

These questions aren’t meant to discourage us — they’re meant to draw us into the kind of honesty that leads to health and transformation.

The Invitation

Culture is formed every day by the little choices we make together. And when the gospel shapes those choices, people experience something more than a friendly community — they experience Christ Himself.

Our prayer is that at CF Paris, people would encounter the love of Jesus in the way we live, talk, welcome, and serve. Even if it’s just in glimmers at first, those glimmers can point to a greater light. The Gospel truly changes everything!

So let’s be courageous enough to ask: Does my culture match my values? And if not, what’s one step I can take this week to live them out more fully?